Toenailed assembly and fitting therefor



Oct. 9, 1951 I w. M. BUSHNELL TOENAILED ASSEMBLY AND FITTING THEREFOR Filed May 4, 1948 Patented Oct. 9, i951 UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE TOENAILED ASSEMBLY ANDFITTING THEREFOR William M. Bushnell, Chicago, Ill. Application May 4, 1948, Serial No. 24,981

4 Claims. (01. 20-92) My invention relates to an assembly wherein a member, for example a board, is secured edgewise by toe-nailing to the side of another member or board and has reference more particularly to a fitting whereby the toe-nailing is more effectively accomplished.

oftentimes in carpentry and similar work it is desirable in securing one member, endwise or edgewise to the side of another member, to toenail the members together by driving nails angularly through the corners of the endwise or edgewise member and. into the side of the other member.

However, in ordinary toe-nailing, unless the nail is carefully started a substantial distance from the plane of the edge which is to be abutted against the side of the other member, a secure fastening is not obtainable and even then the corner through which the nail is driven oftentimes splits and the connection is unsightly and insecure.

Moreover, when the nail is started a sufliciently substantial distance from the plane of the abutting edge, it is quite difficult to prevent lateral displacement of the abutting member as the nail is driven angularly through the corner thereof and furthermore the corner oftentimes is not drawn up tightly against the side face of the other member.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide an improved toe-nailed connection of one member to another having greater strength than previous toe-nailed connections; to provide a simple and convenient fitting which. insures accuracy and uniformity of toe-nailed connections and greater security; and to construct the fitting so it is readily adaptable for toe-nailing members together in diiferent angular relations, these and other objects being accomplished as pointed out more particularly hereinafter and as disclosed in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view, with portions broken away showing the two ends of a member or shelf toe-nailed to two upright members or end panels in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary corner sectional view Fig. 5 is a side view of the fitting as constructed for making connections such as shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, which it is to be understood are merely illustrative of several different applications of my invention, Fig 1 shows a horizontal panel ll secured'endwise between a pair of vertical panels l2 in somewhat the manher of a shelf structure, the horizontal panel H beingtoe-nailed to the vertical panels I2 with toe-nailing fittings [3 in accordance with my invention. V b

Each fitting i3 is merely a short angular plate as. shown particularly in Fig. 3, preferably of sheet metal, with an upright flange M of approximately the samewidth as the thickness of the panel or shelf H and a narrower flange l5 along the bottom whichextends under the panel or shelf and serves as an under brace for the shelf corner and also facilitates placing'the fitting in proper position for nailing to the panel or shelf.

Each upright flange 14 has a number of nail holes 5, preferably three, at intervals therealong and located substantially midway between the top and bottom of the flange M, the nail holes being so distributed that there is a nail hole near each end substantially as shown in Fig. 1'. a

One of these fittings I3 is secured to the shelf or panel II at each corner thereof as illustrated,' with the; outer end of the fitting substantially flush with the end of the shelf or panel, by nails. I1 driven through ally of the nail holes I6 except. the end one which is left open for toe-nailing, the nails [1 being driven while the bottom flange l5 of the fitting I3 is held tightly against the bottom of the shelf or panel ii and the upright flange l4 being secured in this position tightly against the edge of the panel or shelf H.

Thereafter, while the shelf or panel H is held in proper position between the vertical panels [2 the shelf is toe-nailed at each corner to the re-- spective vertical panel [2 by driving a nail 18- through the outer end nail hole l6 of each fitting l3 and diagonally into the adjacent panel l2 as illustrated by the dotted lines representing the nails! in Fig. 2. I 7

Thus each nail I8 is uniformly and accurately placed, does not engage through suflicient of the corner of the panel or shelf to be likely to splitthe wood, and has engagement throughout mostof its length in the panel l2 so as to insure a very secure connection therewith.

Moreover, the nail I8 is sufficiently close to the end of the panel or shelf I I to draw the edge portion of the vertical panel [2 tightly against the corner of the shelf or panel H and make a tight connection there and at the same time, the nail 18, being engaged through a hole l6 of the fitting I3, is firml secured to theshelf or panel ll.

Thus an extremelysecure and accurate toenailed connection of the shelf or panel II to the end uprights i2 is assured which is much stronger than the ordinary toe-nailed connection.

My invention may be employed in various to e nailed connections other than in shelf like structures such as illustrated. In fact, my invention may be employed with any two memberswhich are adapted for or fit together in a manner capable of toe-nailing together. I

Preferably, however, when a member is to be toe-nailed to. another member at; an angle apprelr other thanpernend ula as fo example as shown in Fig. 4., wherein the oblique member I9 is toe-nailed the-upright members-2B, aspec-i l s in su h-asshqwna an 2 i iae is employed in which the upright flange thereof has an angular'en d 21a or'122a corresponding to the angularity offth ,inembei. 2o to'which it is tob'e toe-nailed and with the end nailhole '23 thereof locatedthe proper distance from the middlc ofthe angular end.

'Preferably'the fitting"2| is made as shown in Fig. with the upright flange 24 extendedatone end beyond the'bottom {flange 2-5 as indicated at -26 in Fig'KErand With-the nail hole ZLatthatend substani-iallyein the planeofthe end of the. bottom flangeasindicatedinEig. 5. V

. Thusbycutting .off the extension 2.6 along the line. 28a fitting such-as sh wn at. 2 Lin Figs f s nr ids yh ch s n l at 3 o the qe i ii membe Han tee-nailed at 0 t th u ri h member "2 0. at that end of the member 1.9.

cutting ofi'th extension 26 onthe line 31, however, instead of on the line 28, this same fitting "of Fig; 5"may" be adapted for-securingthe other end ofthe oblique member 19 (when properly beveled at-the end)- to the other member 20.

The fitting2-2 is the same-as the fitting 2-1 except one is -a right-hand fitting and the other a lef t-handzfitting, and the-fitting! Zis made from a fitting like that shown in Fig. 5 except that:.it has the extension-2.6. at; thsgonposite end the e m ther w ds h i n 2 1 is adea ma t us t at f 5 xc t hat t e b ttq flange 15 is bent in t e crease? sin ster; ra

Wh'fle'f'h'ave shown'and described my invention in a preferred form, I am aware that various changes and'modifications niay-bemade without departing from the principles ofniy invention, the-scope of which is-tobe-determined by the" appended claims.

What is claimed is: r

. 1. assem-blyoithe class.described-comprisingttwoelongated members, oneofwhichextends crosswise; ofand, is. engaged. sidewise against the end of the o h m m r andrhasmsaid, other memb b tt n endwis a a nst t e si e there.- of a metatnhts-s gy o th sidfip sa ab t:

ties l l 2 a ases hei n b e t o 4 members and lying in a plane which extends lengthwise of both members, andiaffast'enerlwhich 4 is disposed obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the abutting member and extends obliquely through said metal plate and is embedded in said crosswise member, said metalplate having an end face approximately in the plane of the juncture of the two members.

2. An assembly of the class described compris-' nietal plate secured to the side of said abutting member adjacentthe juncture of the two members'and lyi'ngina plane which extends lengthwise of both members, and a fastener which is disposed obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the abutting member and substantially perpendicularly t6 theloi'igitudinal axis of the crosswise -as embl 9i the cla described pris ng we elgngated membersone of which extends crosswise of and is engaged. sidewise against thelend of. theother me ter and has said. other member abuttingien'clwise against the side thereof, In car plate's'ecured totheside of said abutting lll mber terminating at the juncture of the twomem bers anei m in a plane which extends lengthwise of both? members, and a fastener-which is "disposed obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the abutting member and extendsobliquelythrough said-metalplate and is embedded in said-crosswise member, said metal plate having an end face approximately in the plane of the juncture of the twomembe'fcs.

- r 4. AnasSembIy-of the class described comprisingtwoelongated-members,one of which extends .crosswiseofaand .islzengaged sidewise against the end of the other member and has saidother membehabuttingendwiseagainst the side there- 5,, a=.;meta1. platesecuredto the side of said abutting member adjacent the juncture of the two me be s l psin. a p e. which e t n thwis o bgth membersand a fastener which seem bliqq w t th lo d n a s of abutting member and extends obliquely the through said metalplate and is embedded in, said croeswise. member, said plate havinga flange extending along onei'egige thereof" and engaging another si e of ,the abutting member; sa 'Ifietalplate' havingan end face approximate ejplane of the juncture of the two mem- 'WILLIAM' M. BUSHNELL.

v V R FEnENcEs-crrED liej following' ,references are of record in the f'thispatfeht ATENTS Number Name Date #2543965 I-Iart 'Mar. 14; 1882 .:.949;o75. .-Hu1ett "Feb. 15,1910 4 2,202,545. Webb May. 28, .1940

QBEI G P E Number untry; Date Tee-a Mar: 3 9 

